


Glowing Dim As An Ember

by 4_angsty_zukos



Category: Anastasia (1997), Bleach
Genre: F/M, Gin is the worst person ever( again), I had to write this, Ichigo is the best friend ever, Momo is oblivious, Toshiro is the lost prince, What a weird AU I made, sorry - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-08-26
Updated: 2016-09-21
Packaged: 2018-08-11 03:33:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,956
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7874575
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/4_angsty_zukos/pseuds/4_angsty_zukos
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Hitsugaya clan were the darlings of the public eye for many peaceful happy years, but one dreadful December night , horror and tragedy struck. The culprit of the Hitsugaya massacre remains unfound , and the public clings to a rumor that one Hitsugaya survived , that their young Prince is out there somewhere. </p><p> </p><p>A powerful enemy, old friends , and a lonely con artist are about to cross paths , and Toshiro is confused by it all, lost in a puzzle of memories nearly within reach.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. In The Dark of The Night

**Author's Note:**

> Okay so my excuse is just that Toshiro was a perfect candidate for this AU and I was thinking of Anastasia, then this idea hit me.

The Hitsugaya clan was a happy family. The public was always delighted to see the little Prince playing in the courtyard with his friends . 

They were kind and just , polite and always trying to better the lives of those in the kingdom of Rukon. 

Rukon adored the Hitsugaya family, and so no one ever dreamed harm would come to the kind and charming family. 

 

But in December , as the Hitsugaya clan was celebrating the Prince's tenth birthday , darkness struck. 

Details of the night were few and contradicting. 

Some said an entire squad of assassins rampages through the Hitsugaya residence. 

Others said it was the work of one man. 

A few whispered of shadows , of the flinging flashes of swords, cries in the night, then silence colder than the winter air. 

One fact was absolute. Every member of the Hitsugaya clan was found dead, except for the youngest Prince. He was nowhere to be found. 

 

And so a seed of hope was planted in the hearts of Rukon's citizens. 

Three people clung to that seed desperately , feeding it and nourishing it with all their might. 

One person sought to destroy that seed , to eradicate all hope in Rukon.

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Momo Hinamori remembers. She remembers the sweet young Prince who always invited her to play , remembers autumn mornings spent climbing the courtyard trees, hiding high in the branches and giggling at the guards. 

She remembers how lonely she was when her parents died , and how King Hitsugaya made sure Momo ended up in the care of the royal advisor. Her parents had been simple court guards , but the king respected the Hinamori's dedication , and often invited the guards children to play with the Princes. 

She remembers the four princes well - Rei , the eldest , who loved nothing more than his horses and flirting with the flower girl at the corner shop. 

Minari , who was shy and constantly drawing something , giving his sketches to those he liked most, often with a blush. 

Yuri , full of laughter and known fondly as the prankster Prince , often being scolded by a guard for his latest trick. 

Toshiro , with his soft smile and charming intelligence , who could charm the devil himself if he liked , but who also told awful puns and got into prank wars with his brothers and who made up stories for her when she couldn't sleep. 

Toshiro, who took delight in sneaking up on nobles at parties and scaring them. 

Toshiro , who had once whispered to her one night that she was like the Sun after a lonely winter. Who defended her fiercely against any who spoke poorly of her. 

Toshiro , who once punched a nobleman in the face for calling her " unuseful. " 

 

Toshiro, whose smile made her feel as though the world had stopped turning. 

 

That night was the most horrifying thing in her life. She remembers the party , the princes teasing their brother, Toshiro blushing and trying to avoid attention. She remembers the lights going out, the sound of breaking glass, the screams. Remembers finding Toshiro's hand in her own and racing through darkened halls with him, his worried questions heavy in the air. 

Remembers hiding in a storage room , lighting a candle and seeing Toshiro staring at her with such fear in his eyes that her heart ached for him. 

" What do we do , Momo? Who's attacking? Why?" His voice , often so calm, shook. 

" I don't know who's attacking. I don't know why , either. But you have to escape. I'll distract them , and you go. " 

" Momo! I can't! I won't leave you! What about my brothers? We have to get them out too! " His frantic turquoise eyes pierced hers, his white hair messy and falling into his face. 

Momo remembers the silence between them , the awful screams in the distance. 

Remembers the slow realization , the quiet tears as she held Toshiro , both of them terrified and grieving for those who were now beyond saving. 

Remembers standing resolutely, scanning the shelves in the closet and grabbing a bottle of Minari's favorite hair dye. The shy Prince had always been embarrassed of his hair and had dyed it for years to blend in . 

She remembers Toshiro's startled expression as she began working the dye into his white locks. 

" Momo, what....what are you doing?" 

" They probably won't recognize you with black hair! Everyone knows the Hitsugaya family has white hair. You can escape easier now!" 

" We! WE can escape! I'm not leaving you!" 

" I'm not giving you a choice! " She yelled, shoving him back quickly, pulling open the door and rushing out , yelling as she did :" Wait, Prince! Wait! Stay with me! It's not safe!" 

She remembers narrowly escaping the courtyard , remembers hiding in a garden shed until morning. Remembers the investigation, the police informing the public that five Hitsugayas were killed , and the youngest Prince had disappeared . 

 

She remembers silently hoping Toshiro was safe. 

 

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Toshiro doesn't recall very much about his life before being taken in by the Kurosakis. 

Only a vague night , full of screams in the dark , a cold storage room in a basement , something being poured onto his hair, a girl shoving him back suddenly , his head hitting the stone wall behind him. 

He remembers waking up in that storage room, confused and frightened. He had no idea why he was there or what had happened. He stumbled out slowly , wandering lost in the basement halls until he walked right into a policeman. 

 

" Whoa there little guy! Slow down! You okay, kid? You look lost. " 

"I...I think....I am.... I don't....I don't remember.... There was.....something..... Happening.... A girl..... A girl was with me... Then I was falling.... I don't know anything before that....." He stammered, staring at the man warily. 

" Hey, that's okay, kiddo. You look like you smacked your head pretty hard . Don't worry, you'll remember eventually. Until then, why don't you stay with me ? I'm Isshin Kurosaki. I've got a son near your age, he'd love to have another boy around! What's your name , son?" 

"I'm.... I'm pretty sure it's....Toshiro. " 

The man laughed. " Huh! That's funny, I think that's the name of the little Prince who's missing. Must be a popular name, eh? Come along , I'll get your head fixed up and you can meet my kids. We'll look after you until you remember whatever you forgot. "


	2. Things I Almost Remember

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Life has settled into a comfortable rhythm with the Kurosaki family. Toshiro is happy with them , but there's this strange dream he keeps having . A dream about a cold winter night , screams surrounding him , and a girl . A beautiful crying girl running away , telling him to stay safe . She seems so familiar , and he longs to stop her tears.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay at least someone is reading this haha , hope you like it so far! 
> 
> So here's chapter two of Prince Toshiro's journey!!! I hope you guys like it , leave a comment maybe? Forgive my mistakes it's been ages since I saw Anastasia....

The first year with the Kurosaki family was strange for Toshiro. Isshin was always fussing over him and asking if he was okay every time he saw him. 

Ichigo was curious , and Toshiro liked him immediately because of how kind the redhead was. " Wow Toshiro! You really just remember your name? That's gotta be so scary! I'd feel pretty scared if I only knew my name all of a sudden! But don't worry! I bet there's people who really care about ya who are trying to find you! They'll probably turn up at the door any minute!  
Besides, you've got such unique eyes that I KNOW they'll recognize you if they see ya! " 

The nine year old gushed, grinning at him and ruffling the older boy's hair. 

" Thank you , Ichigo. You really think that?"  
" Sure I do!" 

Yuzu was always trying to feed him for some reason , or handing him some drawing she'd done. Not wanting to upset her, he'd accept the treat or doodle and smile at her. 

Karin, on the other hand , was often begging him to play with her or following him around. He couldn't seem to get rid of her.  
" Shiro! Shiro-San! Come play! Come play! Ichi-San won't. " 

" Karin , I'm busy fixing lunch . " 

" Shiro! Play now!" 

" Oh all right, we'll play a guessing game. Can you guess where I've hidden your ball? " 

" Ooooohhhhh a treasure hunt! I'll find it!" 

" Did you really hide her ball, Toshiro?" 

" Of course not , Ichigo. But Rin-kun doesn't know that. " 

 

After a couple of months , he began to get used to the daily chaos of the Kurosaki family. He would help out around the medical clinic or babysit the twins while Ichigo was away at school. 

Toshiro wanted to go to school too but Isshin had said it was better for Toshiro to adjust to life in Karakura first. 

Halfway through the third month , Ichigo was staring at him all morning. " Toshiro ! Your hair is fading! It's not so dark black anymore! What'd ya do? " 

At Ichigo's words, Toshiro glanced into the mirror . Ichigo was right, his hair had faded to a slightly grayish color. 

" I don't know! Maybe it's the Sun? I was outside a lot last week playing with you and Karin...." 

" Yeah maybe that's it!" 

 

The gray color lightened more and more over the next three weeks until one morning Toshiro glanced into the mirror to see himself with pure white hair. It should have startled him , but something about it felt natural. 

Isshin gasped quietly when he saw Toshiro that afternoon. 

" WHOA! What happened to you? Your hair is so white! " 

Yuzu giggled. " He looks like a Prince !" 

Karin smirked. " Shiro's too grumpy . He's no Prince." 

Ichigo frowned at his little sister. " Karin! That's rude! Don't you listen to her! You can be a Prince if you want to be , Shiro! Hmmmm... Hey, Dad, didn't the royal family have white hair?" 

" Ichigo that's not the kind of thing we should talk about . You kids don't need to hear such sad things. " Isshin said quietly, a serious expression on his face. He stared at Toshiro for a moment , and Toshiro felt uncomfortable under the gaze. 

"Is everything all right, Mr. Kurosaki? " 

" Hm? Oh yes, Toshiro. It's fine. Don't freak out over your hair , it's just something unique. But you do realize that now we get to call you Little Prince!" 

" Hey! I'm not little! " 

 

*************************************************

The years passed quickly , but little of Toshiro's memories returned. He remembered his age, his favorite snack, and that he was often sick in the summer. Nothing about his family or his home , or why he'd been in that storage room. 

He began to have a dream every night, never changing . He was back in the storage room. His hair felt wet and sticky . It was cold. There was screaming all around him and his heart was racing. He felt scared. So scared. A girl with kind brown eyes and short black hair was talking to him, telling him to run. Telling him that he was more important , that he should escape without her.  
In the dream , he told her no. Refused to leave her. So she ran out the door , yelling for him to run, to get away, to stay safe. 

She was crying. The girl in his dream with the kind eyes was crying. The sight made his heart ache. Someone so beautiful should never cry. He wanted to stop those tears, brush them away and make her smile somehow. 

She seemed so familiar , her name hovering just beyond reach. 

Toshiro wanted to find her, if she was real.

************************************************* 

Six years after being taken in by the Kurosaki family , Toshiro was out at the market after school with Ichigo. 

As he was buying small hair bows for the twins , a girl passing by bumped into him. 

" Oh! I'm so....so sorry.... Hey, that's strange, you've got hair just like...." She stammered, blushing lightly and then gasping as she looked at him. 

" Are you all right, miss?" Toshiro asked, frowning in confusion. Something about her seemed so familiar....the short black hair, the neat bun on her head... Those eyes.....

The girl from the dream!  
" What? Oh yes, I'm fine. It's just you're a dead ringer for......for the lost Prince. But you couldn't be him. He'd never stick around here. Sorry I bumped into you. Have a nice day!" She said in a rush , and with that she was off, dashing around a corner. 

" Hey! Wait! I want to talk to you! You're the girl in my dream! COME BACK!" He tried to catch her but she was too quick. 

 

His heart was light, though. He'd seen her. Spoken to her! The girl in his dreams. 

And he'd find her again.


	3. Someone Holds Me , Safe and Warm

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A traveler turns up in Karakura without a place to stay , and Isshin invites him to spend the night with the Kurosaki family. 
> 
> Something about the stranger is achingly familiar to Toshiro . 
> 
>  
> 
> Alone in her small apartment , Momo finds herself thinking of the boy in the market , and begins to hope . 
> 
>  
> 
> Quietly , hidden in a place few would suspect, the one behind the Hitsugaya massacre watches and listens , gathering information on the lost Prince . He must silence the last remaining witness to his crime if he's to reach his goal.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow I'm so sorry it's been almost a month since I updated this! You've been so patient with me! As a reward , I'm giving you an extra-extra-extra long chapter! 
> 
> Leave a comment please !

It had been six long years since Hyorin Maru had been in the kingdom of Rukon. After the awful massacre of the Hitsugaya clan , he'd been too shaken and depressed to remain there. And yet , even after six long lonely years, he recalled every detail of the night with painful clarity. How strange that a day that would end in despair could begin with such a lovely sunrise. 

He remembers watching that sunrise , vibrant shades of pink and orange painting the pale blue sky . The youngest Prince was with him , yawning slightly , turquoise eyes fixed on the sky in awe and delight. 

" Isn't it amazing how it's never the same , Hyorin Maru ? Every day it changes! How does it know to do that ? " Toshiro spoke quietly , smiling up at the royal advisor. 

Returning the smile , Hyorin Maru ruffled the Prince's hair. " I don't know , little Prince. You'd have to ask the Sun. Now ,why didn't you decide to sleep in on your birthday , Toshiro? Your father won't be pleased if you're sleeping through your party later. " 

Toshiro squinted at him." Ask the Sun? You're crazy! The Sun doesn't answer questions ! It's not even alive! It's a star. And I'm always up to watch the sunrise! If I watch the sunrise, I know what kind of day it's gonna be ! Rei says so! He says blue and gray sunrises are bad luck , yellow and red mean something scary is coming , and pink and orange means good luck ! It's gonna be a great day ! " 

Hyorin Maru chuckled lightly at the boy's enthusiasm. The young Prince had long been Hyorin's favorite , ever since he'd first began working for the family when Toshiro was just a baby. He'd gotten to watch the boy grow from a quiet and moody toddler to a clever moody ten year old , always outwitting others around him , his laughter ringing down the halls when he'd beaten his brothers in a game or pulled off a tricky prank. 

Hyorin often enjoyed calm afternoons with Toshiro , having tea as the boy told him stories of the adventures he'd gone on with his brothers , or he'd rant about how his friend Momo had come up with the best idea for a prank that day and it wasn't fair that she'd thought of it first.  
Hyorin would smile , knowing that despite the complaining , Toshiro was very fond of Momo . In fact , Hyorin wouldn't be surprised if someday the boy married her. The way the boy spoke of her told him as much. 

Hyorin could understand why , Momo was a very sweet and charming girl. He'd been unable to say no to adopting her when the king requested it. He soon became very attached to her , and could hardly recall a time before she'd lived with him , a time before her smile brightened his home. 

 

The day had been so ordinary ! The usual drama during breakfast between Rei and Minari over girls , Yuri getting scolded for breaking something , Toshiro picking at his food and being chastised into finishing his meal by his grandmother. Momo teasing Toshiro and the bickering soon dissolving into a food fight , the maids trying to calm the rowdy children , Hyorin merely watching in amusement and fond tolerance. 

Then began the difficult task of the day - keeping the children entertained and away from the ballroom as it was being prepared for the party. 

Scavenger hunts worked for a few hours , until Rei declared that it was unfair , since Toshiro often won. 

" It's not my fault you're dumb! " 

" TAKE THAT BACK YOU RUNT!"  
" I'M NOT A RUNT, REI!" 

Hyorin and Momo managed to settle the argument , and soon the children were occupied with hide-and-seek. That game ended when Toshiro decided to climb into the rafters of the library and nearly gave a servant a heart attack . 

 

Minari suggested painting next , and for a few blissful minutes , it worked well. But then Rei commented that Toshiro's painting was sloppy , which made Toshiro flick paint at Rei's face. Red paint now dripping onto his black suit , and splattered across his cheek , Rei retaliated by hurling a can of blue paint at Toshiro. 

Rei hit his mark, and Toshiro was covered in blue paint, his fine white suit now ruined . Blue paint had even gotten in his hair , dripping into his face . Panicked and angry because the paint had covered his eyes , Toshiro yelled at Rei. 

" It was just a joke, Rei! A JOKE! You didn't have to blind me ! Now I have paint in my hair and on my new suit and in my eyes and Father's going to cancel my birthday! I'm telling Hyorin Maru on you!" 

" Oh my! What have you boys been doing ?! You're all covered in paint ! I knew I shouldn't have left you ALONE while Momo and I went downstairs for more brushes! Oh , Toshiro ,you're a mess! Who did this ? Yuri? " 

" I'm innocent! It was Rei! " Yuri protested immediately , while trying to toss a paintbrush into Minari's hair. Yuri was covered in paint as well , though it was because he took pleasure in ruining his formal clothes . 

Rei blushed. " Sorry, Toshiro. That was rude of me. Come on , I'll help get you cleaned up. " 

Hyorin sighed as the clean up began , Minari throwing an easel at Yuri halfway through because Yuri had drenched him in yellow paint. 

Momo was laughing. " You should have known better, Master Hyorin. If these boys CAN cause trouble, they WILL. "

Hyorin smiled at his adopted daughter. " I know , Momo. I know. " 

The cleaning had taken up the last remaining hours until the party , so Hyorin was secretly glad the boys had started hurling paint. 

The party had been great , the ballroom decorated in Toshiro's favorite colors , the children of royal servants and the children of nobles playing together, laughing as they chased each other through the ballroom. 

Toshiro had laughed at Rei's flirting attempts , the older fourteen year old glaring at his younger brother. 

Minari surprised Toshiro with a beautifully painted dragon portrait , and Toshiro was thrilled with the gift, hugging his older brother. The thirteen year old artist blushed , chuckling as he messed up his baby brother's hair. 

As the cake was being served , Yuri threw his slice of cake at Toshiro , and Toshiro , laughing , hurled a handful of frosting at him. Yuri was scolded by his grandmother , but he simply smiled. " I'm twelve , Granny. I've got lots of time to grow up. " 

A dance began , Toshiro standing on the edge of the dance floor , content to watch his brothers fumble their way through the dancing. But Momo had other ideas , and suddenly Toshiro found himself being dragged to the dance floor , Momo's hand firmly gripping his wrist , a blush coloring his cheeks. 

" M-Momo! What are you- I don't know how to dance! I've run away from all my dance instructors! I can't do this!" He protested , but it was too late. They'd reached the middle of the dance floor , and all eyes were on them now. 

Momo smiled at him. " Don't be silly, Shiro! You just have to have fun! There aren't any rules! Just move however the music makes you want to! You'll be fine ! " And she began to twirl him around , laughing , her blue dress catching the light beautifully , shimmering as she spun. Eventually , he began to enjoy himself , mimicking the steps of his brother Rei , who was waltzing with a pretty blonde girl . He smiled as he watched Momo dance , her eyes bright and delighted , her grin wide and heavenly. He'd never seen anyone so breathtaking before. He thought to himself - I'm lucky to have such a great girl as my friend. 

He held her hands tighter , suddenly wanting to keep her from dancing with anyone else. 

The lights went out then. A scream tore through the air. " I'VE BEEN STABBED! GUARDS! GUARDS!" His father! Toshiro gasped , trying to adjust to the darkness , desperate to find his brothers , his father , his grandmother. He pulled Momo closer. Her breathing rapid and frightened , she whispered to him . " We have to get out of here!" 

" No! Not without my family! Not without Hyorin Maru!" He hissed back , eyes slowly adjusting to the dark. He could make out vague shapes now. 

Another scream began, a woman , high and pain-filled . " THE CHILDREN! Save...save the children. " 

" Granny?! " That was Rei! He was close! Toshiro pulled Momo along , not letting go of her hand , frantic to reach his brother. 

" Rei? Rei! " Toshiro whispered, moving forward slowly in the dark. 

" Toshiro! Thank goodness you're okay! What's going on? I'm- OW! What was that? My chest hurts..... Oh no, oh no, I'm bleeding! Toshiro! Run! Run! Don't let them get you too! You have to-" Rei's voice cut off in an awful scream , a soft thud following it.  
Toshiro's heart was racing , and he felt cold and terrified. " Rei? Rei? You okay , you big dumb idiot? Rei? REI?! " His voice was louder than intended , but he doubted anyone could hear him , as screams began erupting all around them. A small sliver of light shone onto the floor , leading to a doorway. Momo began to drag Toshiro toward it , the young Prince paralyzed by fear and panic. 

Somehow , they made it out , and Momo began running for all she was worth , Toshiro struggling to keep up, pelting her with frantic questions.  
Hyorin had managed to follow them as far as the second floor before being stopped by the enemy. 

He'd tried to protect the King , but had been wounded in the struggle. He was bleeding badly from a gash in his side , and wasn't certain how he'd escape the men now facing him. But unexpectedly , a voice came into the hallway . A voice he recognized. " Now , now , boys . We've killed the important people , leave this one alone. He won't survive the night with that wound anyhow. I've gotten rid of the problems, and now the throne is mine. Just focus on hunting down that birthday boy. " 

Hyorin glared at the man who had stepped into view. The king 's half brother. " Gin! Why? Why would you do such an awful thing? "  
Gin smiled. " Because my weak minded brother didn't deserve a throne. I should have been king of Rukon! And now I am! " 

 

They'd left him alone, bleeding in that lonely hallway. A servant had found him and treated his injury , and he'd survived. But the days that followed were dreadful for him as he discovered that Toshiro had vanished without a trace , as had his adopted daughter. He prayed they'd gotten to safety, that somewhere, Toshiro was all right, and that Momo was with him. 

 

Yes, Hyorin thought, that night was awful. But a new job opportunity had brought him back to Rukon. He was to work as an advisor to a noble family , and he'd decided to try and move on from the trauma of that night.

Hyorin Maru exited the train in Karakura Station , momentarily confused by the crowds in the city. 

He wasn't due to begin work with the Kuchiki clan until Monday morning , and it was Friday afternoon. That gave him some time to get accustomed to the city and to find a place to stay.

He made his way to the market , hoping to find a local who knew of a good place to stay . However, on his way to the market , he found himself distracted by a group of children playing in front of a small medical clinic. They were playing soccer , a team of two young girls around eleven years old versus two older boys , one of whom was tall with bright orange hair and a serious scowl as he played . But it was the smaller boy that captivated Hyorin Maru. White hair, turquoise eyes, a familiar confident smirk. 

The Prince was a bit taller now, and older, but Hyorin was certain it was him. Toshiro HAD gotten away that night, by some tremendous miracle. Toshiro was alive and well . Hyorin felt a knot of grief coming undone in his heart. He smiled.

Hyorin cleared his throat. " Excuse me, children , but one of you looks very familiar to me. The boy with the white hair. You look just like a boy I once knew quite well. I worked for the boy's father. Could you tell me your name ? Do you know who I am?" 

Four pairs of eyes now stared at him, three confused , one pair focused and startled and...lost. Seeing that look in his Prince's eyes was painful. 

" I'm....I'm Toshiro. I'm sorry, I'm afraid I don't know you , though you look very familiar. Something in my mind tells me I'm supposed to know you....I have amnesia, it's hard to know what I should know and what I shouldn't.... But you really do seem to be someone I knew once , someone I knew very well. What's your name? Maybe that would help me remember you!" 

" I'm Hyorin Maru. When I worked for your father, we used to have tea together in the afternoons. You'd always get distracted by talking and your tea would get cold . You had a favorite teacup , it was silver with blue leaves on it. " Hyorin replied, watching as Toshiro thought it over. 

Slowly , the boy's face brightened. " I remember that teacup! I've had dreams about it! The handle was crooked but I didn't care because I liked the design. I remember afternoon tea! You used to call me.....Crooked Prince! Yes, that's right! You called me that whenever we had tea! Prince is a strange nickname , though. I don't remember why you called me Prince.... " 

Hyorin's smile faltered slightly. So Toshiro's memory truly was damaged. Perhaps he'd hit his head while escaping? Well, it didn't matter. All that mattered at the moment was that the Prince was alive.

The door of the clinic opened, and a man came out. " Ah , there you are! Come inside, kids, time for lunch! Oh , hello, stranger! Are you hungry? Why not join us? We'd love to have you!" 

Hyorin hesitated. "I'm sorry, I can't. I've got to find a place to stay for the weekend. But if it's all right, I'd like to visit again. I know Toshiro, and I think I could help him regain some of his lost memories. " 

The man beamed at him . " What luck! I was hoping someone who knew the kid would turn up! Stay the weekend here, sir! I'm Isshin Kurosaki, and I'd be delighted if you could stay and help our lost little Toshiro remember who he is! " 

Toshiro smiled , looking slightly embarrassed. 

Hyorin Maru nodded. " All right, Master Kurosaki. I'll stay. I'm Hyorin Maru . " 

**************************************************

It had been two days since Momo Hinamori had left her apartment. She hadn't expected to run into a boy who looked so much like Shiro in the market! 

His face was stuck in her mind, his words as he called after her replaying constantly.  
" Wait! Come back! You're the girl from my dreams!" 

What could that possibly mean? After all, if he was her Shiro , he'd have known her name , he'd have grabbed her wrist as she bumped into him and pulled her close to mess up her hair. 

He'd looked so much like the Prince she remembered. And he had looked so confused, so lost and scared. She hadn't known the boy he was with , didn't really care who he was. She knew she'd heard the redhead calling him " Toshiro " , but maybe that was a common name ? After all, there were lots of boys named Yuri! And after the massacre, lots of parents had begun naming their children in honor of the lost royals. 

His voice played again in her mind , and she sighed. It was her Shiro. She had no doubts. She'd spent the last six years replaying every memory she had of him , she'd know him anywhere now. 

But why hadn't he remembered her? She thought back to that awful night. She remembered pouring the hair dye into his hair and quickly working it onto his hair before he could stop her. 

Remembers the argument ,remembers throwing the door open and shoving Shiro back. Remembers telling him to stay safe , remembers hearing a thud from the storage room behind her and wanting to turn back , but continuing to run onward, desperate to give Shiro the distraction he needed so he could escape. 

 

She managed to evade the attackers , and ended up outside the castle before she realized it. She ran to an inn and paid for a night's stay. 

That thud.....was it possible that Toshiro had hit his head? And that was why he didn't remember? Momo felt a fresh ache in her heart. If she'd given him amnesia.....Oh, poor Shiro! He didn't remember her , and who knew how much else he'd forgotten? She had to fix this! If her Shiro was wandering around with no memories, it was her fault! She should have gone back to check on him , taken him with her to safety! 

Momo knew she had to find him again and set things right. For Shiro's sake, and for her own. 

*************************************************

In the castle conference hall, Gin Ichimaru sat , listening to the information his spies had for him. 

" Rumors of the Prince surviving still persist, your Majesty. We've found thirty possible candidates who could be the lost Prince. All of them match either the age, hair color , or eye color of the Prince. What should we do , your Majesty? " His head informant asked .

Gin gave a wicked grin. " Simple .Take them out. Anyone who might be Prince Toshiro or anyone who might be hiding him is to be executed discreetly. I won't have my right to rule stolen again . "


End file.
